Meet Your JUSA Candidates

It’s nearing the middle of the spring semester, and for Jacksonville University that means it is time for the Student Alliance, JU’s student government, to pass it’s leadership on to a new group of motivated students.

In the spring elections, JUSA opens up the ballot to elect a new president, a new vice-president and several campus representation positions.

The candidates for president are Bridgett Korcyzk, William Baxley, Widcarmeson Fignole and Youssef Ajjawi. The vice-presidential candidates are Marcus Noah, Brett Durda, Joseph Ramsey, Keith Taylor Jr. and Mackenzie Sanchez. All candidates were contacted to answer questions, but not all responded in time for this article to be published. The candidates were asked why they joined JUSA, what made them want to run for their position and if elected, what their first priority would be.

Bridgett Korcyzk:

-I joined JUSA my sophomore year to be involved with the student body as a whole and the campus life.

-I decided to run for president because I am a person who can get things accomplished. I take the initiative and am very approachable for others to come to me with anything.

-My primary goal is to involve the student body in everything that is going on throughout the campus because it is everyone’s community. I would like to propose a remodel for the library with many accommodating features for students such as a Starbucks and later hours .

Marcus Noah:

-I wanted to join JUSA because I have some experience in student government prior to college. The experience was something I had a great deal of fun while doing. I enjoyed being able to have the ability to be a liaison between my fellow students and the administration. I like this school, but have experienced problems and I have heard many other students voice concerns. I hope to remedy these problems that students find.

-I wanted to run for vice-president because that is the office I held when I was in student government in public school. I feel it is the role in which I may be most effective. The VP role would allow me enough sway to get the students heard and at the same time leave me out of the spot-light just enough. I do not really enjoy the lime-light so the more background role that I have the more room I have to breath.

-I will say that I will try my best first thing to ask as many students as I can what they would like to see different at this school. I cannot really promise what the first actual action would be if I am elected. As much as I want to promise something better within a week or some great thing, I know I cannot. Besides the fact that would not be my plan, we all know how even the best laid plans of mice and men fall astray. All I can say is that I will try my best to get the student voice heard.

Brett Durda:

-I was tired of nothing getting done, and if something did, it took forever. Also, I wanted things to happen and be done that students could actually use and enjoy.

-I didn’t feel qualified enough for president but I definitely feel I can make a large impact in JUSA and help it turn into something that has a good reputation and does great things for this university, not only for current students but also for ones to come.

-I have already proposed to rid the campus of the ugly dirt road which is being taken care of as we speak. I want to change this idea that JU is a small boring campus. There is so much potential here from the space on the Dolphin Green to buildings like DCOB and Lazzara. My first priority is to meet and understand what is going on in a lot of the lives of other students. What do they want, what do they need. JUSA is there as the voice of the students and do the things they want. They aren’t there to sit in a position and do three small things. Students we all hear shouldn’t be saying things like “Oh, this is JU, things never get done, ” or “we have never had this.” JUSA is there to provide and help with these things and I think lately it has lost sight of that.

Go out and vote. Make your voice heard and vote for the person you think will do the best job and represent all students.

Joey Ramsey:

-At first just because my sister told me I should, but then once I got comfortable and familiar with it I stuck around because of its potential to have a huge impact on the whole community.

-Eventually I could see myself being the president so I wanted to use this as a stepping stone and a way familiarize myself with the roles.

-To figure out how to drop the retention rate. I want to figure why so many kids leave their first year and help remedy that problem.